Mouse

[Paul]

Several questions here...how do you mouse a hook? I haven't seen any details in any of my knot books on this one. Also, I have read Brion's web page and it looks like he advises to use blue locktite on the initial fitting for norse terminals and then using the red locktite for the final assembly. What's the best way to seal the terminal? Any help in regards to this will be greatly appreciated.

[Dan Wilder]

Paul,
Don't know anything about terminals, but Hervey Gerret Smith's "the Marlinspike Sailor" can show you how to mouse a hook (as well as a bunch of other stuff of various utility). I've never done it, but it looks pretty simple. It's basically a bunch of turns of marline across the opening of the hook with a seizing in the middle.

[paladin]

Well, depends on the real thing or a computer mouse. Just do the real mouse like you would a worm on a fish hook...no problems..
Acomputer mouse is a bit different, it's harder and the hook doesn't penetrate as well so you let it dangle, cut off the connector on the end of the cord , and near the body of the mouse make a bowline and slip it over the hook to lock in whater you want to hold, using the excess cord to increase the number of times you close the hook .....
Otherwise....depending on the size of the hook, you need some small stuff. Form a sliding loop in the end of the small stukk and slip it over the lip of the hook and around to just below the eye, but in parallel with the lip of the hook. I assume that you have connected the hook to something, so you now want to close the hook to prevent "something from sliding off...so...using the standing part of the cord, wrap tightly several turns around the body of the hook and the lip, then terminate (or secure) the end with several hitches around the turns of line to prevent them from unlaying.....this is probably the definition you were looking for..

[Mike Field]

Unless they're sisterhooks, of course, when you just clap a seizing around both shanks to hold them together.

You don't see sisterhooks too often these days, but I reckon they're still pretty useful things. But you should always mouse them, though -- McMullen tells a story in Down Channel about being hooked in the eye by one of an unmoused pair on his jibsheets, and dragged nearly overboard by it. Lived, with two eyes, to tell the tale.

Actually, I think that mousing a hook is a good deal simpler than hooking a mouse.....

[Bayboat]

Paul:
You can mouse a hook with marline or other small stuff, or more permanently with monel or stainless safety wire.
Now that the mouse is hooked and the hook is moused, about sealing terminals: After assembling and fitting, take it apart, squirt silicone sealer (comes by the tube) into it, apply the locktite, screw it together, and wipe up the excess sealer that oozes out.